What to do if you see a Shark while Snorkeling
You and your dive partner are having a wonderful time enjoying a relaxing Snorkeling or scuba dive when suddenly, you spot a shark. You might want to know what to do if you see a Shark while Snorkeling. We discussed what scuba & snorkeling divers need to do if they encounter a shark. If you are scuba diving and come across a shark, you should take the following recommendations into consideration.
What to do if you see a Shark while Snorkeling
Stay calm and stay with your dive buddy.
Sharks are not the terrifying monsters represented on television and in the movies; they are naturally curious. They will occasionally come in to check on the divers’ progress before leaving again. The possibility of seeing one of these is quite uncommon. If you see one that doesn’t move around much, you must be vigilant and swim out of the area while staying close to the bottom. Sometimes sharks will remain in an area for an extended period, which could be the presence of fishing activities or the possibility of an easy meal of scraps. They are not fantastical sea monsters but rather predators and dumpster divers.
Maintain a respectable distance.
Most sharks do not want to interact with divers in any way. Some of them, like nurses, leopards, and horn sharks, rest on the ocean floor and can be approached rather closely. When divers grasp at or annoy sharks, the sharks frequently bite as a protective mechanism rather than an offensive one.
The prey quickly swims away
If a large shark, such as a great white, tiger, or bull shark, comes close, you should maintain your position close to the bottom, face the shark, and hold your ground. At any case, you aren’t going to outswim it. Again, these animals are portrayed in such an inaccurate manner in movies that most scuba divers are afraid of their existence.
You shouldn’t worry about their biting or harming you in any way. They spend their lives in the sea and on the reef and exhibit a high level of curiosity—a trait rather indicative of intelligence. If you do not move and continue to confront them, they will eventually leave after thoroughly examining you and realizing what you are. After the shark has gone, you and your dive companion should swim away slowly while staying near the ocean floor.
Swim towards it.
If a shark continues to observe you while diving and you feel uneasy about the situation, you should stick close to your dive companion and move toward the shark. The presence of one human is noticeable in the water, but the presence of two humans at once is significantly more noticeable. The shark is smart enough to recognize that its victim will not swim toward it. So it will avoid it.
Use caution and safety training when spearfishing.
For a select group of scuba divers and, more specifically, free-divers, spearfishing is a particularly popular hobby (breath hold). Many seasoned divers and underwater hunters have met with a shark. In most cases, they have little choice but to release their catch to make the shark leave. It will make the situation a great deal worse. Unfortunately, some people have speared enormous sharks only to find that their single-shot spear guns have attached them to the sharks after they have speared them.
If you wish to spearfish, you should keep your catch on a float towed behind you at a distance of around 15 to 20 feet. Invest the time and effort necessary to conduct thorough research on spearfishing, and then learn how to do it from locals experienced in underwater hunting. Avoid venturing out on your own.
Read more about Anti Fog masks
Snorkeling shark attack
Despite all the media attention and terrifying tales, shark attacks only account for about ten fatalities each year across the globe, on average. However, most of such people are not divers but rather surfers or swimmers. This may come as a surprise given that divers actively seek out interactions with sharks, unlike swimmers and surfers, who prefer to avoid such encounters.
FAQs
Conclusion
Just try to maintain your composure and move away from the nearby area as gently as possible. They won’t normally react to anything you say unless you actively provoke them. There is no such thing as a man-eating shark, at least not in the conventional sense, despite the widespread belief to the contrary.
